If anybody has information of Mormon Settlement in San Francisco, please e-mail me at PureH2OKy. I need to know how they affected the city or maybe the entire state, if possible. Thanks.

-- Kristine Yen (PureH2OKy@aol.com), November 27, 1997

Answers

Well, for starters, Sam Brannon was Mormon (at least started out that way!) and he clearly had a huge impact on San Francisco, Sacramento, and the development of California in general. Seems that would be a good place to start looking!

-- Dorothy Leland (leland@dcn.davis.ca.us), December 15, 1997.

On July 9, 1846, the American flag went up over Portsmouth Square claiming the town called Yerba Buena for the United States. Three weeks later, July 31, 238 Mormons aboard a ship named the Brooklyn arrived in Yerba Buena. They were led by Sam Brannan. On Jan. 30, 1847, Yerba Buena was renamed San Francisco.

Brannan's group intended to meet up with Brigham Young's group, but we all know that Young found the great Salt Lake instead. Brannan brought the first printing press to San Francisco and started the California Star. He became one of California's first millionaires, and was a city leader.

He wasn't what you would call a devout Morman. He drank quite a bit, liked the ladies and was sued by the church for embezzling money. He said "I'll return the money when Brigham Young sends me a receipt signed by the Lord."

Ultimately, the Mormon community did not stay long for San Francisco. The wild atmosphere of the gold rush starting in 1848 was too much for them. There is a beautiful Mormon church (is that the right word?) Oakland's hills, across the Bay from San Francisco.

-- Peter Moylan (pmoylan@trammellcrow.com), July 30, 1999.